Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young still talking trash

By
Michael Lee

Nick Young got humbled in his last meeting with Gilbert Arenas, when Arenas used nearly every trick in his arsenal to take the Wizards' leading scorer out his game. Arenas roughed him up, snuck in some elbows, nudged him, and talked enough trash that at least three sanitation trucks needed to clean up afterward.

Young missed 13 of 20 shots and scored just 17 points as the Wizards lost 110-91 on Feb. 4. Arenas gloated afterward that he knew Young's game too well to let him get the upper hand. After the Wizards practiced at Amway Center on Tuesday, Young said he wouldn't fall into the trap again and that he tried to avoid Arenas in the days leading up to the rematch.

Arenas has been calling and texting, "but I ain't been answering," Young said. "I pretty much learned from that game not to get caught up in the games with him. That's what he do. He think he can take me out of my game."

When told about Young's desires not to go back and forth this time around, Arenas lowered his head and chuckled. "That's a lie. He was with me yesterday. He was with me last night," Arenas said, unable to contain his laughter. "He was my Valentine."

Arenas said Young engaged with trash talk when the two former teammates hung out on Monday in Orlando. "Nick can't help himself. That's all Nick wants to do with me. He said it's over for me this time. He has to take down the King of D.C. He said he's coming for me."

I'm No. 1. No, I'm No. 1. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post)

Coach Flip Saunders said he hopes that Young will attack Arenas and the Magic in the Wizards' finale before the all-star break. "We're going to go at Gilbert and I told Nick, he's got to go at him, or whoever is guarding him. You've got to be aggressive. People will come at you and be aggressive. You've got to go more at them and be more aggressive. That has to be our mindset."

Young is averaging 20.7 points since moving into the starting lineup after Arenas was dealt for Rashard Lewis on Dec. 18. Arenas has been keeping tabs of Young, checking the box score after most Wizards games to see how he played. "It's great. I seen the potential when he first got there and I've always been a big supporter of him and I'm glad everyone gets to see him now," Arenas said. "That's the good part, because you can see when he has confidence what he can do. The raw potential he has. When somebody believes in him, he believes in himself and when he believes in himself, he can score with the best of them. But when you get on his back, he shuts down and that's when you just see a guy out there, a goofball."

But Arenas said he doesn't want to let Young get comfortable when they face off for the final time this season. "I know all the stuff that gets him rattled. Trash talking, a couple hits here and there, cheap shots get Nick rattled. I do a couple of those, get away with it, and I'm winning that game."

Young was feeling pretty confident, coming off a 31-point outing in Cleveland, where he made some difficult shots, at times with two defenders pressuring him. "Nick made some unbelievable shots, and I'm sure they were shaking their heads, because I was shaking mine," Saunders said. "But as you all know that's how he gets, when he gets on a roll, he's like a better shooter with somebody in his face than he is on open shots."

Young could only shake his head when reminded of his performance. "Some shots, I felt like, 'Oooh' myself," Young said with a laugh. "It felt good, one of them rhythms that I hope I stay in. we've got to end this part of the season off good. Go in with a good momentum. It'd be great to get two in a row on the road, start a different road streak."

@DCMan88...You are so right on point...The reason Gilbert can't keep his yap shut is he has to brag about something, and since he is not the top dog in Orlando or a topic there, he has to talk about Nick like he was a little puppy dog...

I hope NY will take the high road and not respond any further on Gilbert's comments...Time to grow up Nick!!!!!!

why 2 friends cant talk trash...i hate when people turn a fun thing in to something negative..are u guys made he doesnt pay attention to the wizards anymore just nick..if he was with nick last night and they hung out..i dont think there trash talking i think gilbert says he trash talk to put nick in the paper..dont forget he did get fined 50 thousand so nick can pay..so take it easy and let to friends have there little battles geezzz..get a life..20 million a year i dont think arenas gives a shoot about what anybody says at this point..i wouldnt..

Man, these guys are just having fun. You can tell people who don't really play basketball because they bring up money when trash talking is a PART of the game! Forget the money! If I can get you off your game, I win! But some fans don't know this...

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